By Rita Cipalla A century ago in Black Diamond, Wash., the freight trains arrived empty twice a day and twice a day they left, loaded with coal. Railroad assistant Amos Ungherini would go down the line each day in a hand-pumped "speeder" to weigh the cars. Back then, the railroad was more than just a way to get coal to market. It was the lifeblood...

by Providence Cicero   When Travis Rosenthal took over the Italian restaurant Panevino on Broadway, he might have renamed it Tarantella, continuing the dance theme he established with his Spanish restaurant Tango and his rum bar, Rumba. Instead he chose Corretto, after the booze-bolstered shot of espresso that Italians call caffé corretto —...

Whether you want to speak Italian for travel or personal enrichment, our classes are a great way to learn la bella lingua. And our classes cover the full range of proficiency levels from beginning to advanced. Beginning Italian classes introduce you to basic vocabulary and expressions used in everyday situations. Beginning lessons cover how t...

by Adam H. Callaghan   Named for a monastery near Venice, Italian restaurant San Fermo opens its doors today, about half a year later than expected. The wait has produced a gorgeous blend of rusticity and modernity inside and out of the historic Pioneer Houses, which were moved to Ballard years ago from the International District.   A...

by Ted Land   There are strong indicators that a region is experiencing economic prosperity -- new construction, growing population, and higher wages. Well how about Ferraris?   "I would say the Northwest region is getting more active lately," said William Howard, regional director for the Ferrari Club of America, which held their ann...

Cannara, Italy, and Walla Walla hope to become sister cities. A friendship-pact signing ceremony will take place Tuesday 10:45 a.m. at City Hall, 15 N. Third Ave. The push for sisterhood with Cannara came from Walla Walla onion growers and Council member Jim Barrow, who recently toured Cannara. Signing for Cannara will be Antonio Baldaccini, a busi...

by Rob Clay   The sign says Vita D' Italia but the location is in Manhattan...View, just off 176th and 1st Avenue S. in that small shopping district on the east side of the street. For starters, it is definitely Italian. There is an old adage that the Italians taught the French how to cook. We're not sure about that but if you go you wi...

By Dan Wheat   He arrived in Wenatchee a year ago, heralded by those who hired him at Washington State University as one of the best thinkers in tree fruit physiology and production in the world. And Stefano Musacchi hasn't disappointed as endowed chair of tree fruit physiology and management at the WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension...

History tells us that more Italians immigrated to the United States than any other Europeans, and that more came from Sicily than from any other Italian region. With them, too, the Sicilians brought many traditions, customs, and foods that are still popular today.   One such food is the cannoli, a Sicilian pastry dessert. Historically, these...

by Julia Wayne   Tim Baker and his son, Sam West, have been scheming about opening an Italian restaurant for years. In late November, they will. It's called San Fermo, and you've walked by the building a zillion times. It's the green Ballard Avenue house that's always looked a bit out of place on a street of thick-walled multi-story, multi-u...